New York Mining Disaster 1941 (Have You Seen My Wife, Mr. Jones)

Album: Bee Gees' 1st (1967)
Charted: 12 14
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  • In the event of something happening to me
    There is something I would like you all to see
    It's just a photograph of someone that I knew

    Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones?
    Do you know what it's like on the outside?
    Don't go talking too loud, you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones

    I keep straining my ears to hear a sound
    Maybe someone is digging underground
    Or have they given up and all gone home to bed
    Thinking those who once existed must be dead

    Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones?
    Do you know what it's like on the outside?
    Don't go talking too loud, you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones

    In the event of something happening to me
    There is something I would like you all to see
    It's just a photograph of someone that I knew

    Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones?
    Do you know what it's like on the outside?
    Don't go talking too loud, you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 12

  • Robin Greeson from 95336Has anyone considered the idea is NOT about any Disaster? Please tell me I am NOT the first one to understand that the picture is a picture of the Man he's speaking with (Mr. Jones) with the speaker's wife?? Ah well, as it now occurs to you that I might be on to something; I'm confident that you will see the innuendos with the rest of the lyrics. Enjoy, Peace, Music and Laughter
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 11th 1967, the Bee Gees performed "New York Mining Disaster 1941 (Have You Seen My Wife, Mr. Jones)" on the BBC-TV program 'Top of the Pops', it also marked their debut on national British television…
    At the time the song was at #17 on the United Kingdom's Singles chart; two weeks later it would peak at #12 for one week...
    And in the U.S.A. ten days later on May 21st, 1967 it would enter Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #79...
    {See second post below}.
  • Susan from Atlanta, GeorgiaTo Mb - Newburgh, Ny: This song got me into the BeeGees, too.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 22nd 1967, a video of the Bee Gees performing "New York Mining Disaster" was aired on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    Two months earlier on May 21st, 1967 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #79; and on June 25th, 1967 it peaked at #14 (for 1 week) and spent 7 weeks on the Top 100...
    It reached #3 in both New Zealand and the Netherlands...
    At the time the video was aired on 'Bandstand', the trio's next charted record, "To Love Somebody", was in its 2nd week on the Top 100 at position #42, and five weeks later on August 20th, 1967 it peaked at #17 (for 1 week)...
    R.I.P. Maurice (1949 - 2003), Robin (1949 - 2012), and Barry will celebrate his 68th birthday in two months on September 1st, 2014.
  • Andrew from Surrey, United KingdomRobert Stigwood — later of RSO (Robert Stigwood Organization) Records — released the song anonymously in the U.S., partially to incite the public's curiosity, and partially to get it more airplay on the basis that people might mistake it for the Beatles, (whom he also represented).
  • Dana from Woodbury, MnThey lived in Australia from 1958 to 1967, but are actually from Manchester, England. They moved their with their family as kids because a) their dad couldn't find work as a musician in Manchester and b) Robin and Barry would've been sent to reform school for always getting into trouble with local authorities for rowdy behavior.
  • Musicmama from New York, NyIt's too bad that when most people think of the Bee Gees, they think of all those disco hits they had. On NY Mining Disaster, you can hear what good musicians and performers they actually are.

    This song came out at roughly the same time as the songs on Jefferson Airplane's "Surrealistic Pillow," the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper," "The Jimi Hendrix Experience" and other seminal rock 'n' roll recordings. This song holds its own with the others and has its own distinctive sound. I don't think anyone could've asked for much more than that.
  • Fred from Laurel, MdWhen this hit the airwaves, it was widely believed to be part of the "British invasion"; many of us were surprised to learn that they were actually from Australia.
  • Fred from Laurel, MdBen Dirks - Nijmegen, Netherlands:
    Actually, it's the other way around; the second verse has one more line than the first. ***
    All: This was their breakout hit in the U.S., as well. I think it was their first single released in the states; if not, it was in any case their first national hit here.
  • Robert from Los Angeles, CaOne of the most ominous songs I know
  • Marty from San Francisco, CaThere were three different versions recorded of this song.
  • Mb from Newburgh, Nysong got me into the bee gees
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